If Amazon was trying to use its fall hardware event to build hype for the upcoming Prime deals event, it worked.
The retail giant announced a slew of new tech during its livestream Wednesday, adding to the ranks of its Kindle, Echo, Fire TV, Halo, and Blink lineups ahead of the first-ever Prime Early Access Sale from Oct. 11 to 12 (when many older models will likely see deep discounts). Release dates for most of these next-generation devices have been scattered across late October and November, which puts them on the market just in time for peak holiday shopping season, though many of them are already available for preorder.
Here’s a rundown of each new device’s pricing and specs, listed in ascending order of launch date, just in case you’re jonesing to buy one.
The new Echo Dot
Amazon’s two-year Echo Dot update schedule stays right on track with the imminent arrival of the fifth-gen model, which is being billed as the most powerful, best-sounding iteration to date. We can credit those superlatives to its redesigned audio architecture, which crams a larger speaker with clearer vocals and better bass into its familiar orb-y form, as well as the new AZ2 Neural Edge processor that enables faster tap gestures and ultrasound motion detection. In two Echo Dot family firsts, it also comes equipped with temperature sensors and eero Built-in that turns it into a WiFi extender.
The standard fifth-gen Dot ($49.99) is joined by an improved Echo Dot with Clock ($59.99) and a new Echo Dot Kids ($59.99), which includes parental controls and a year’s worth of Amazon Kids+. All three are set for release on Oct. 20.
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The upgraded Echo Studio
Amazon didn’t reinvent the wheel for its Echo Studio refresh, but the new Glacier White colorway and custom-built spatial audio processing technology for more immersive sound are both welcome edits.
It also comes out on Oct. 20, and you can reserve one ahead of time for $199.99.
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The upgraded Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera
Amazon tells you everything you need to know about the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera right in its name: It is quite literally just a Blink Mini with a new motorized mount that can pan and tilt for a 360-degree view. The little guy works with Alexa and offers 1080p HD video with infrared night vision, motion-activated notifications, and up to five minutes of live streaming.
You can pre-order one for $59.99 before it comes out on Oct. 20. The mount is also sold separately for $29.99 if you already own the camera part.
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The new Fire TV Cube
Amazon didn’t cut any corners on its Fire TV Cube update (though it did round them off slightly). This third-gen model boasts a zippy octa-core 2.0 GHz processor for a 20 percent power boost from the previous generation, which comes on top of a 4K upscaling feature (“Super Resolution Upscaling”), WiFi 6E support for silky-smooth streaming, and an “industry-first” HDMI input port that lets you connect the device to compatible devices. That last bit means it’s now possible to add Alexa voice support to your cable box and Blu-Ray player.
Priced at $139.99, the new Fire TV Cube will make its debut on Oct. 25.
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The new Fire TV Omni QLED Series
Amazon’s updated 4K smart TV introduces a new “Ambient Experience” mode that pulls up artwork, photos from your personal collection, or a selection of handy Alexa widgets as soon as it detects someone in the room. The “sensors watching your every move” aspect is a little unnerving, but for those of us who are too cheap for Samsung’s The Frame, this looks like an excellent budget-friendly dupe. (Better yet, you don’t need a subscription to access its fine art library.) At the very least, it’s the best-looking TV in Amazon’s Fire lineup: A QLED display with local dimming, an Adaptive Brightness feature, and support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive make for gorgeous, vivid picture quality whether you’re streaming or gaming.
If you want to pre-order one ahead of its Oct. 27 launch, you’ll pay $799 for the 55-inch model and $1,099.99 for the 75-inch one. For comparison’s sake, Samsung charges $1,499.99 and $2,999.99 for each respective version of The Frame.
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The new Alexa Voice Remote Pro
The new Alexa Voice Remote Pro comes with a new Remote Finder feature and motion-activated backlighting, which is amazing news for anyone who wants to spend more time watching TV and less time digging through their couch cushions for a lost remote. Amazon also slapped on two new customizable buttons, which are basically shortcuts for your go-to content and Alexa commands.
Amazon has it listed for $139.99 ahead of its Nov. 16 release.
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The new Kindle Scribe
Amazon has been cranking out new Kindles like mad lately, but the Scribe is its first-ever e-reader that you can read and write on thanks to a new built-in stylus. (There’s a Basic pen option and a Premium version, which adds an eraser on one side and a customizable shortcut button.) The 10.2-inch device features a front-lit, 300ppi display that’s supposed to make it feel as if you’re working on regular paper, plus an adjustable warm light, 16 to 64GB of storage, USB-C charging, and a months-long battery life. It currently supports digital sticky notes and a Send-to-Kindle feature that lets you import personal documents and write on PDFs; a software update coming in early 2023 will make it possible to send documents from the Scribe directly from Microsoft Word.
The Scribe is set for release in late November, with prices starting at $340 for the 16GB model with a Basic pen.
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